We're Broken People
by Anchoncho
Summary: Annabeth Chase escaped to Manhattan because of her afflicted past. Percy Jackson is falling apart but paints on a bravado for show. When the broken pair cross paths, they realize that though living sometimes seems meaningless, they need to help each other find their purpose, or perhaps discover their purpose with one another. AU. Title inspired by twenty one pilots.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

** CHAPTER 1: Introduction**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, Rick Riordan does but unforrtunately I am not him.**

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><p>"<em>I have these thoughts<em>

_So often I ought_

_To replace that slot_

_With what I once bought_

_'Cause somebody stole_

_My car radio_

_And now I just sit in silence"_

**_(Car Radio_ by twenty one pilots)**

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><p>Annabeth Chase left home after graduating high school.<p>

She went to San Francisco State University for three years, majoring in architecture and getting straight A's and B's. However, right when she turned 21 in July, she dropped out. Her reason wasn't because she had trouble keeping up with her classes. She had great potential in the academic department, as her past teachers and professors had told her. But whatever she had academically, never competed with what she had to deal with when she went back home.

She never made enough money to get herself her very own apartment, much less room with someone else. She was stuck in an endless dark void of hopelessness and depression for a long while until she finally began to take some initiative back in her life. Her instincts told her to drive off with her best friend Thalia out of her father and step-mother's house with a full tank of gas and only two duffel bags in the trunk of her car. Their drive was desolate and pained as they quietly escaped the sunny California towns and her damned hometown.

Nobody cared that Annabeth left. Her father never gave her enough attention her after her mother disappeared and he remarried. He did try to squeeze her into their new lives at first, but then he eventually just _stopped_. He turned angry and bitter towards her. His new wife was wonderful to her when she was young, but with a pair of boys growing in her belly, Annabeth was abruptly cut out of the picture. She was shunned by her own father for she was nothing but a painful memory and an outlier of his new and happy family. She held her childhood begrudged and distant. She would never tell anyone about her past. Annabeth Chase was a mystery to everyone who knew her.

Thalia Grace was a free-spirited and independent woman. She was six months older than Annabeth, who she knew and understood more than anyone would ever know about her. She too had her own broken family. Her father was a selfish businessman, her mother was careless alcoholic, and she had to raise for her baby brother Jason all on her own.

After Thalia mother died in a car accident when she was only seven, she was separated from her brother. He was taken all the way to the gloomy East coast with their grandmother—she didn't know where exactly—and she hasn't spoken to him realization that Jason was so young when they were separated shattered her heart. He probably never knew he had a sister. Their grandparents never liked Thalia and blamed her for her mother's death. But Thalia's gut-wrenching memory of her brother was branded into her heart.

Thalia had to live with her father growing up, only she and him, but they never had a healthy relationship. He never cared for her. He sent her away to various camps and boarding schools, just because he was too afraid to raise his own child.

And yet, she doesn't cry. Annabeth doesn't cried, either. The two of them were built with steel running through their bloodstream.

This guilt of the past gave Annabeth and Thalia even more of reason to pack up. They had no motivation as to where they were going, but all they knew was that they had to do was drive away. They would stop eventually stop _somewhere_.

Annabeth's father and step-mother tried calling her. Once Thalia's father got hold that Thalia was missing, he began calling as well. They left a note back home saying that they were leaving for while, thinking that simple notion was enough, so they ignored their desperate calls. They would call and come back sooner or later, but they both didn't want to hear their voices; they caused it all.

They have been driving for merely a few days, possibly a week, they never kept track of time whilst on the road. Within alternating drivers and occasional rest stops, they drove nonstop until they found themselves in the bustling city of New York.

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><p>Percy Jackson looked like a guy that gave parents a run for their money. He had long and messy dark hair. He had hard metal rings fitted in his bony fingers and a sleeve of tattoos that snaked around his left arm and few sprinkled on his right bicep. He was fit and muscular, but his eyes were his most appealing feature. He only wore black jeans and dark t-shirts.<p>

However, under the black clothes and inked skin, was a pure and kindhearted soul. He had a loving mother, which he loved even more, and a step-dad who put up with all his shenanigans since he was 14. He always had a big white smile on his face even on his worst days and he never had trouble speaking up. His punk rock exterior was nothing compared to the sweet kid he truly was.

Percy sometimes has trouble keeping up the act. He's had a life-long grudge on his birth father, whom he has never met, for leaving him and his mother abruptly right after he was born. Sally argued with him though, telling Percy that his father was a down-to-earth man who she was in love with in every single way. Percy, however, never changed his mind about him. He _never_ changes his mind. His father was an ignorant coward who left him and his mother, and he will_ never_ forgive him for that.

Then Sally remarried to Gabe Ugliano. He and his poker friends would chug down six-packs of beers every night in their basement. The house he grew up in became a nest littered with empty pizza boxes and crushed beer cans. Gabe abused poor little Percy and his mother. Sally only stayed with him to keep them steady financially while she worked a part-time job at a candy shop and went to college to get her degree. Once she salvaged enough money to support herself and Percy, she kicked and his poker buddies out on the Manhattan streets.

Sally finally met Paul, Percy's ninth grade English teacher. He was a nice man who treated both Percy and Sally with love and respect that they deserved and was welcomed into the family.

Percy still remained dark and depressed, despite how happy his mother was with Paul. His wore darker clothes in attempt to make less people notice him. He was the scary quiet kid sitting in the corner of the classroom that no one wanted to mess with. His change in character was the cause of anger to the his past fathers and an express of depression from his broken childhood he so dearly tried to repress.

He seemed like a somewhat happy kid on the outside. Nobody was quite sure how Percy could have kept those feelings of hatred to himself and put on a smile for show, but it was mainly because no one would have suspected it.

Percy worked two jobs to keep himself busy. He worked at an auto repair shop that his friend owned for one job. His other job was made up of filing and organizing records at a music shop. He loved listening to music. It was his escape from reality when his life got too difficult.

He never needed to work, though. His biological father was a rich business man. Though Percy never had a trace of who he was or what he looked like, he still sends Percy and Sally money to make a living. Sally put that money—which was indeed thousands of dollars—in Percy's savings account to pay for the expenses to going to a university when he is ready to. She also extracts money from there when he gets injured, which happens a lot in Percy's case.

Sally never accepted any money from Percy's father. She wanted to live and work for herself. She wanted to earn her way through life.

Percy's father also left him an apartment right across the street from his mother. It was a large, vacant apartment for a long eighteen years until Percy was able to legally move into it by himself. It was maintained by maids that come in every month to keep it clean, but all the that house did was collect dust. Percy was always working.

He was good at his job, quite frankly. His bosses never had a problem with him because he worked hard and was never off task. He put his charming and bad boy look and flirted with young women to lure in more customers and occasionally get into fist fights with their jealous boyfriends.

Percy often worked himself too hard; he had nothing better to do. He barely graduated high school with a C+ average. He honestly tried to do his best, but it was difficult to succeed in school with both ADHD and dyslexia. After he worked his two shifts and attending his community college classes, he would go drive back to his minuscule apartment down a few blocks, get changed for bed, and go to sleep, just to wake up to another day of work for hours on end.

His life was becoming repetitive—he recognized that now—and yet he didn't try to stop it.

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><p>Annabeth Chase and Thalia Grace had finally settled in a small motel off of the highway in Manhattan after a cross-country drive from San Francisco. Once they had washed and rested, they headed out to get their damn car radio replaced in the middle of the afternoon.<p>

Annabeth had never seen the importance of the car radio until now. Thalia would occasionally play some music through her phone, but other times, they would drive empty roads in silence, left to think of the lives they had left back in California in dismay. They wanted to so very much to forget the past, but they both understood that it's impossible. The goddamn malfunctioning radio seemed like the center of their grief, the only obstacle blocking them from repressing those deep and painful memories that would flood their minds.

The two girls, with the motel key stuffed into Thalia's back pocket of her ripped black jeans, made their way out onto the road, looking for the nearest damned auto repair shop.


	2. Chapter 2: The Damn Auto Repair Shop

**CHAPTER 2: The Damn Auto Repair Shop**

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns PJO.**

**Hi! Sorry that first chapter was a bit depressing and dramatic. I swear it's going to warm up. I cringe at my grammar and spelling mistakes. **

**On the other hand, thank you for all of you who read and liked my first chapter! And just as a heads up for this chapter, I absolutely _love_ profanity. **

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><p>"<em>I was fine just a guy living on my own,<em>

_Waiting for the sky to fall_

_Then you called and changed it all,_

_Doll,_

_Velvet lips and the eyes to pull me in,_

_We both know you'd already win,_

_Mm your original sin"_

**(_Sarah Smiles_ by Panic! At the Disco)**

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><p>When the little golden bells rang above the auto shop door for only the third time that day, it was already past 12 PM noon. Despite the nonexistent scuff marks on the white tiles from lack of business, barren plastic chairs, and imaginary tumbleweeds, Percy was always found a way to be busy. Today, just like any other day, Percy sits behind a small cherry wood desk and twiddles his thumbs. He always finds himself sat at the old PC behind the desk, playing ancient computer games he didn't know how to play and watching his favorite old TV shows.<p>

He didn't want to admit it, but his favorite games were the old Disney Channel games he remembered playing as a child and _Diner Dash_. They were guilty pleasures.

Percy's hair was a mess atop his head and wide framed glasses placed snug on the bridge of his nose. His chin rested on the palm on his hand and his eyes locked on the computer screen, eyes burning from the hours spent in the same position.

The auto shop was only a small building off the side of a road. Not many people would come around because of its bleak exterior, but Percy would still show up for his shift. Vacant red chairs and cloudy windows lined the perimeter of the barren room, and the only reoccurring visitor they ever had was the sunlight, which would shine bright and illuminate the interior. In the center was a wooden coffee table with old coffee stains and a dozen magazines sprawled on top of it.

He heard the little bells on the door chime, but he didn't shift his eyes away from the _Emperor's New School_ episode he was currently in the middle of playing on his desktop computer.

"Excuse me; do you happen to repair car radios here?" She knocked on the desk.

Percy let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. As much as he had a strong work ethic, _no one_ should cut him off in the middle of watching _Emperor's New School_. That show was _the shit_.

He looked up at the blonde towering over his desk. She had curly honey blonde locks that framed her face and fell far beyond her shoulders. Her denim shorts showed off her great tan legs. She looked like the stereotypical Californian. Looking into her eyes, he noticed they were a stormy, curious grey color. They intimidated him, in a scary but beautiful way. He felt the same sensation he would probably feel if Jennifer Lawrence were to punch him in the gut.

She was really pretty. She was beautiful, actually. That may have been an exaggeration, but through Percy's eyes, that was understatement. He had a quick, silent debate with himself about how he could possibly flirt with her without getting himself killed, and remembered she'd just asked him a question that he still hasn't answered.

"Oh, um, yeah! Yes, we do fix radios." Percy stuttered. He could feel warmth filling his cheeks as he spoke to her. He cursed at himself for stuttering. His damn tongue just screwed him over. He ruffled his hair with his fingertips.

Percy never had trouble talking to girls—he flirted with them all the time—but this one did something to him that made him stumble on his own words.

"Great! Well, my best friend is out there with our car, so I'll just wait in here." She said before dismissing herself. She pulled out her phone and she walked off to sit on one of the empty red chairs at the corner. She crossed her ankles on the coffee table and pulled her thin open flannel closer to her body.

"Might I get your name?" Percy asked, in a failed attempt at trying to say it a charismatic manner. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Annabeth. Annabeth Chase."

_Annabeth. What a strange name, _He thought.

"Okay Ms. Chase," Percy said, setting his glasses down on his desk, "I'll be right back while I check out your radio."

She nodded and shifted her attention back to her phone. Crossy Road is _fucking_ _intense._

Percy ran his hand through his black hair and jogged out of the shop and towards the only car parked in the lot. It was a vintage red 1967 Impala with only a few scratched along the sides. He made his way to black combat boots appearing outside the passenger seat window, right in front of the rear view mirror. He knocked on the hood of the car.

"Hey! Your friend back there said that you guys needed a car radio?" Percy shouted.

A head of short black hair shot out of the open window.

"Percy Jackson?" She asked.

"Thalia?"

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><p>Annabeth didn't intend to stare. I mean, he probably didn't notice she staring, right?<p>

It wasn't her fault the guy working behind the desk of the tiny auto repair shop was cute. Though he only wore black jeans, a grey hoodie, and a pair of worn out red Vans, it only added to his charming physical appeal to her. The way he would run his fingers through his jet black hair and rub the back of his neck when he spoke sent her electric jolts through her stomach.

She didn't get a good look at him, but the most curious feature about him she managed to make out was his eyes. Through the lenses of his wide framed black glasses—which he looked so undeniably _fucking attractive_ in—were hypnotizing sea-green irises. She was a sucker for blue eyes. They were a vibrant green with little specks of bright blue. She'd never seen those eyes on anyone ever before.

Annabeth was never one to fall in to physical attraction, but as she watched as this guy jogged out the door of the room, she was willing to make an exception.

But Annabeth Chase was too smart. She knew better than to trust her foolish first instinct; it always got her into trouble. She'd just met the guy and had only a 6-line conversation with him since. He could be a dick, for all she knew. Maybe he even liked dicks, for God's sake; she knew nothing about him.

When he rolled up his sleeve to his elbows and showed off a couple of tattoos on his forearms, Annabeth couldn't stand it anymore. It bugged her sitting in that room with nothing to do but stare at that cute guy through the window. She couldn't concentrate on beating her high score of that damn addicting game. Besides, she was hungry as hell. _That's a legitimate excuse_. She stood up from her seat in the empty room and approached him and Thalia next to her car.

"Hey Thalia, are we grabbing lunch after this?"

"Oh, Annabeth!" she stepped out of the car, "This is my dipshit cousin, Percy."

_Oh. This is awkward, _Annabeth thought.

"I reckon you two have already met." Thalia continued.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you lived in San Francisco." Percy asked.

Annabeth sucked in a breath, hoping he wouldn't ask her to elaborate. "We decided to take a little road trip."

"So you guys just spontaneously drove across the country? Do you even have a place to stay?"

"Well, we're staying at motel for now. I was hoping we would run into you, Nico, or Grover." Thalia explained.

"Tough luck. Grover is down in New Jersey with Juniper for their anniversary and Nico went back to Italy for the summer with Will." He paused and then smiled mischievously, "So you're going to have to put up with me."

He winked at Annabeth, who groaned and rolled her eyes. She pretended she didn't like it, but she couldn't hide how bright red her ears were turning. Percy silently applauded for finally coming up with a bold approach to her.

"So…lunch? I'm about to go on my lunch break if you guys are willing to wait for me for a few minutes. I'll drop you guys off at your room and be right back to pick up your car from Argus when it's done."

"Alright." Annabeth threw her keys to Percy, who caught it with in his hand without even flinching. "Be gentle with her. If you scratch her, you're dead."

"Will do."


	3. Chapter 3: Life is Like Milk

**CHAPTER 3: Life Is Like Milk**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

**New chapter for this week! **

**Last chapter was the actual beginning of the story, so how did you guys like it? I'm trying to get used to editing and developing the story more, so more subplots and plot twists and cliffhangers are coming your way! Yay?**

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><p>"<em>I feel something growing deep inside of me<em>

_What I say and what I mean_

_Always seem to disagree_

_So help me through this hard time_

_Change these fault lines_

**(_Our Song_ by Matchbox 20)**

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><p>Fifteen minutes later, Percy busted into the room and motioned for them to head out for lunch.<p>

Percy drove the girls to a little diner that he always went to on his lunch break. The place smelled like french fries and dry roasted coffee—a strange but amazing blend—and somehow gave off a sense of delight and ease that spanned the entire room. The diner was only occupied with an old married couple, three families with little kids running around at their feet, and a group of eight obnoxious teenagers squeezed into a single corner booth. They were seated immediately to a booth next to the door.

Thalia sipped on a cherry coke and Annabeth gulped down some water. Percy, on the other hand, ordered a vanilla milkshake and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket.

_Was that…blue food coloring_? He unscrewed the blue cap and dropped the liquid into his milkshake.

_There is definitely something off about this dude_, Annabeth thought.

Percy finished stirring his milkshake until it was the pale blue color he was content with. He chuckled when he saw the look on Annabeth's face.

"Percy likes to color his food blue. It's a thing that him mom do ever since he was like, four." Thalia explained.

"I'm a bit of a mama's boy. And I say that with high pride and dignity." Percy retaliated.

"I'm pretty sure the old lady doing the dishes in the kitchen hates me because I stain all of the milkshake glasses blue." He added.

"How often do you come here?" Annabeth asked.

"I usually come here every Tuesday on my break because they have special for free fresh-baked cookies. I order a vanilla milkshake, dye it blue, and get pissed when I can't _blue-ify_ anything else."

"_Blue-ify? _That isn't a word."

He waved it off. "The only difference between this Tuesday and all the other Tuesdays is that I'm spending it with my cousin who I haven't seen in twelve years and her gorgeous best friend." He winked.

_Ah, yes. Confident, suave Percy was back. _Percy thought.

"Better watch that tongue of yours. I can kick your ass any day." Annabeth countered.

Percy searched the depths of his mind for a witty comeback, but one never came. It was always these kinds of emergencies where his mind just completely shut off. This is why Improv never worked out for him, either.

Instead he took a large gulp of his blue milkshake, which of course was a terrible mistake. In seconds he was holding his head in his hands in a teeth-clenching, mind-rippling brain freeze. Annabeth and Thalia burst out laughing.

_And there goes Percy's little sliver of confidence and suave. Just chucked out the window._

But there was something about her threat—_damn_—that was hot. It fucking turned him on.

It was probably not the _greatest_ mindset to have. Percy thought that a threat like that was sexy, but he also took into account that this was coming from someone who could unquestionably own up to it. But everyone knew he wasn't the brightest star in the sky. No wonder Thalia called him Kelp Head when they were younger.

"You're a massive dork, you know." Annabeth smiled.

"So I've been told." Percy grinned, trying to keep up the confidence. You could tell how embarrassed he was, though, with the way his ears tinted pink and he furiously ran his long finger through his long, dark hair.

Annabeth was starting to like this guy even more. The things he did when he was embarrassed—it made her heart flutter.

But Percy was Thalia's cousin, for God's sake! Wouldn't it be…awkward?

She also reminded herself that she barely knew him. She didn't know if he even liked her. Sure, they casually flirted between conversation, but she was sure he was the type pf guy who did that with every girl he came across. Maybe he even had a girlfriend.

She only knew random things she concluded about him, like how his favorite color was (obviously) blue, he liked to make a lot of noise, and that hadn't cleaned his car in _years_, which she noted because she was the only one who had to sit in the backseat of his car.

Besides, she knows that she would have to return to San Francisco sooner or later. Annabeth knew that she couldn't just run away and her problems would magically disappear. It just delayed the process of confronting them.

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><p>Soon, the waitress came back with plates of food piling on her arms. Annabeth just settled on a plain grilled cheese and coleslaw. Percy and Thalia devoured their hefty plates of double cheese burgers and fries.<p>

"So…Thalia, what have you been doing in San Francisco? It's been…_twelve years_?" Percy said between chews.

"I could say the same to you, Kelp Head." Thalia responded, staring digging into her pile of fries.

"I asked you first."

"Okay, to start off, right after I finished high school I went to San Francisco State University to study in Criminal Justice and Police Science and that's where I met Annabeth. We were partnered up in our psychology class. College didn't really work out well for me, especially with matters at home with dad, so I dropped out after a year. Then, I started working at an archery range more out in the country—gods, I hated working there—and I worked there up until Annabeth finished three years of college and we decided to head off here." Thalia explained.

Percy licked his lips and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "So you guys just randomly took a road trip across the country?"

Thalia nodded.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "We just needed to clear our minds. Going home just got too stressful. We packed our bags, took some cash, and just sped off." She spoke softly, as if she was picking out the words cautiously. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted him, but they way he looked at her with those sparkling green eyes, _gods, _she felt like she was just going to spill everything to him.

It was quiet for a moment after that. Thalia had finished her cheeseburger and Annabeth downed her entire glass of water and began chewing on ice cubes. Percy just sat there, not moving—which was strange because he had ADHD—staring at the mysterious blonde in front of him.

He didn't know. He knew about what happened with Thalia, of course, and how hard it was for her. But he wanted know what happened to Annabeth and hug her and tell her it was alright, but he didn't want to push it. Maybe there was no alright in her situation; he didn't want to be liar. False hope is a _bitch_. He knew that for himself.

Percy hoped he hadn't just been curious about this girl just because she was her cousin's best friend—Thalia was never liked or trusted people in general. He also hoped he just hadn't given into her looks. She was beautiful and intimidating and had the coolest grey eyes he'd ever seen. He genuinely wanted to get to know her. He wanted this to be something more.

Of course he knew that he just met her a few days ago. He had no idea why he was curious about her. But he didn't give a damn. He wanted to know her secrets and exploit herself to him. He wanted to know _her story_. _If only she would just tell him._ But it just seemed too soon.

Something dangerous was happening inside him. His heart's giving into his eyes. Just one glance made him want everything to do with her, even if she held dark tragedies embedded in her very being. This was only going to leave him mayhem—make him go insane.

"So, how about you? How have you been?" Thalia asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"It's been…interesting. For starters, my mom kicked out my step-dad Gabe and now she married to my ninth grade English teacher, Paul. He's pretty cool." Percy said.

"Thank God." Thalia muttered under her breath.

"Then I went from boarding school to boarding school because I kept getting suspended for repeatedly blowing up science classrooms. One time, I got suspended for "accidentally" blasting cannon balls from old American war cannons at a school bus." Percy snickered. Annabeth choked on her ice cube she was chewing from trying not to laugh.

He continued, "After I barely graduated, I enrolled in a community college in Manhattan and that's where I am today. And I'm working two part time jobs to supply for myself."

"It seems like your life was pretty fun." Annabeth cut in, picking up the last bit of her grilled cheese sandwich.

"It does seem like it, doesn't it? I should have been, but it wasn't. But the thing I always keep in mind is that my life isn't over just yet, and I have the control over how great the rest of it is going to go." Percy said quietly, looking straight into her mesmerizing grey eyes.

Annabeth was curious about Percy even more. He had just told her about his entire life, yet she still didn't know him. There seemed like there was just so much about him, thousands of layers of him and she just wanted to delve through every inch of it. It was like her knowledge of him was only a grain of sand in an entire island. She had this aching feeling of wanting to actually _know_ him.

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><p>The waitress came back to their booth and handed them their check and Percy a chocolate chip cookie. He laid out his warm cookie on a napkin and set whatever he had left of his milkshake down next to it.<p>

"Look at these. It's a cookie and a milkshake. They both have milk." Percy claimed.

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but he quickly cut her off.

"_Life_ is like milk. Everyone starts off as milk, the same way everyone is brought into this world the disturbingly same way. There are many destinies for milk, many paths it could take. It could turn into cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.—but that's not the end because its merely a phase in its lifetime."

"From ice cream, you can make a milkshake. From butter, you can make a cookie. But that's only because you get to choose what you want to be and what you want to put in it. Like how you can choose to put chocolate chips in your cookie to make it great, or put raisins in it and make it disgusting. And you can change it up an infinite number of times until you reach your inevitable end." Percy said.

"So...you're saying that we're all milk?" Thalia asked incredulously.

"I'm saying that you have the power to do what you want in life. Don't let anybody take that freedom away from you. Your life yours to begin with and it's yours to stay until it ends." He explained. He picked up his cookie and took huge bite out of it.

Annabeth found herself laughing. It wasn't because milk and life was a stupid analogy. What made her laugh was that Percy's speech was one of the best and truest piece of advice she had ever received.

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><p><strong>Thanks for all the new feedback on this story from the last chapter! I really appreciate all the favoritesfollows/reviews.**

**See y'all next week for Chapter 4!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Family of Bad Dads

**CHAPTER 4: The Family of Bad Dads**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**So this chapter was up a little later than I anticipated :/ Some of you may know this website wasn't working yesterday. But here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>Weep for yourself, my man,<em>

_You'll never be what is in your heart_

_Weep, little lion man,_

_You're not as brave as you were at the start_

_Rate yourself and rake yourself_

_Take all the courage you have left_

_And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head"_

**(_Little Lion Man _by Mumford & Sons)**

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><p>"Hey Thalia!" Percy pulled off the earphones from his ears as he called out to his cousin.<p>

He always expected Thalia to walk into his store whilst they were out in New York sooner or later. Ever since she was little, Thalia would listen to that hardcore metal shit Percy was never really into. He never knew why they were so loud and angry, but he respected the people who liked that kind of stuff.

Percy secretly wished Annabeth was with her. He hadn't seen her since three days ago when the three of them had lunch. He hated the way she would make him stutter and act like a dork, but at the same time, he was kind of obsessed with it. He didn't want the portrait of her in his brain to fade away.

He kept telling himself that he should not be obsessed with this girl. They literally just met. Things could turn to the dark side, or even worse, he might fall even farther for her.

"Percy? You work here too?" Thalia walked up to him, bracelets clanging against each other as she jogged up to him, and wrapped her arms around him.

He pulled away and looked at her. Her eyes looked red and moist. He was going to ask what was going on, but he didn't feel as if it was his place to ask. Instead, he ignored it.

"Yeah. Looking for anything in specific around here?" Percy asked in response.

"I left my CDs at home and I can't live without them. I was hoping to find the exact ones for the car radio around here."

"What are looking for?"

"American Idiot?" She grinned. Percy knew she was going to say that. Yes, Green Day was an old band and American Idiot came out several years ago, but Thalia loved listening to it over and over again.

Percy crawled out of the cashier counter and walked toward the opposite end of the shop. Thalia followed him as he scanned down the aisles and hummed to himself.

"Ah, right here. Deluxe version." He filed through the records until he found the one with a red grenade on the cover.

"Cool, thanks." Thalia said as ran her fingers on the cover.

Percy leaned on the wall, arms crossed, as he watched Thalia studied the album.

"I remember Annabeth got this album for me when I was thirteen." Thalia laughed lightly.

"Speaking of which, where is Annabeth?" Percy asked, acting like he wasn't meaning to ask her that ever since Thalia stepped foot into the store.

"She's back at the room. She wanted to take a nap while I went out and got some stuff for us."

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you guys crashed at my apartment instead of having to pay for a room every night. You're going to run out of money eventually." Percy told her.

"I'll talk to Annabeth about it. But if we do, can we go tomorrow, maybe?"

"Sure. I have tomorrow off, anyway." He grinned.

A moment passed in silence. Thalia stood in across from, her eyes shifting back and forth between him and something behind of him. She was debating to tell him what happened yesterday. After being reunited after twelve years, she didn't think to trust him too much. But he was_ family_. Their family had a fair share of issues. And despite her heavy sarcasm and rude remarks to him, Percy was one of the few people that she would let to see her fall. She hated to say it, but they were very similar.

"Yeah, um," She paused to clear her throat, "I called Zeus on the phone yesterday." She looked down at her feet with a blank expression and glossy eyes. Annabeth was there with her while it happened, and it was the first time she had ever seen Thalia cry in _years_.

Zeus was Thalia's father. She never liked calling him dad or anything like that. He never was a father to her, even if he _was_ her _biological_ father. Zeus neglected her and never said a word when she purposefully pushed herself away from him, thinking that if he said otherwise he would cause a bigger shit storm. It only made Thalia angrier. When Thalia told him that she _deliberately _called him yesterday, it caught Percy off guard.

_It must have taken a lot of balls to do that_, he thought. If he had his own biological father's phone number, he wouldn't _dare_ call him.

He couldn't help but think of how messed up their family was. _Oh, the family of bad dads._

"Oh." It seemed like that was all he could say to her these days. He swallowed hard.

"I told him that Annabeth and I went to New York and that i never want to see him again. He didn't even _apologize_!"

"He said that he wanted me to stay here and he would give us money whenever we need it. But I don't want to use that bastard's money. And i don't want to go back home more than ever." She said harshly. Tears were beginning to well up under her eyelids.

Percy reached over to embrace her and rubbed little circles on her shoulder with his thumb. He didn't know what he was supposed to say to her or how to react, but he tried to comfort her.

"After these past twenty-two years of him not giving a shit about me, I shouldn't have been so stupid to think he actually cared." Thalia ridiculed. She brought the back of her hand to her eyes, trying to beat the tears streaming down her face.

It was definitely odd to see her way out of her element. It was hard to get Thalia past her tough exterior; she was strong. And yet, seeing her like this made her seem so fragile.

"Listen, Thalia. You and Annabeth can head over to my place." He handed her his house keys and a sticky note with his address scribbled on it. "You and Annabeth can stay there. I'll be there after I finish my shift."

"Thank you, Percy."

* * *

><p>It's been three days after meeting Percy and Annabeth had already gone full-stalker status.<p>

Though she did feel a bit guilty for stalking the poor guy on the internet, but she sure as hell didn't want to ask Thalia about him.

So she did the classic thing every girl does when they're into someone. She scoured the internet for all Percy's social media.

Annabeth didn't think internet stalking was creepy. To be completely fair, every girl does it. She just chose to deny her actions when Thalia caught her red-handed scrolling mindlessly though his social media when she came back to their room after she stopped by a music store to pick up some records.

The results were _very _disappointing. She found that all of his social media accounts were private, all but one. She cursed under her breath.

_It was his fucking Facebook account._

"Who the hell still has a Facebook?" Annabeth said to herself. She scrolled through his timeline and cringed.

"Annabeth?"

She quickly shut off her phone. The way her eyebrows knit in confusion, but the look in her eyes showed that she was definitely picking up the pieces.

"Were you internet stalking someone?" Thalia asked accusingly.

"No!" Annabeth replied a little too quickly.

"Mhm. Okay, so, I ran into Percy while he was working and—"

"You went to the auto shop? I thought you went to the music store down the road?" Annabeth cut her off.

"Percy also works at the music store, too. Anyway, we were talking and I told him about what happened with Zeus yesterday."

"Oh, okay." Annabeth said, obviously shocked. She notice how red and glossy her eyes were.

Thalia had never been open to anyone but Annabeth about issues with her father. She wasn't jealous that she had someone else she entrusted her feelings with. In fact, she was relieved. Thalia needed more people supporting her, and she was glad Percy was one of them. After all, Percy _was _her cousin. He probably already knew how crappy of a father Zeus was.

"He gave me the key to his apartment and told me to head over there with our stuff. He said that we could stay there instead of having to use Zeus' fucking money to pay for this motel room."

Annabeth knew that with the mention of Zeus' name, she shouldn't try fighting with her for making such a sudden decision without her. She knew it was best for Thalia's well-being to be as far away from him.

"Okay. Let me get my stuff together and we'll head out." She said.

* * *

><p>"How could Percy afford all this?" Annabeth asked Thalia, in awe as she entered Percy's apartment.<p>

Annabeth was quite surprised when the lobby of the building was decorated with crystal chandeliers and gold decals. She was even more surprised when she saw that Percy lived on the _top floor. _She figured that since he worked two part time jobs, he would have a least a decent apartment, not a huge place with big windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline his name etched on a silver plate on his front door.

His apartment was large and modern. It had one master bedroom—which she assumed was Percy's—and two medium sized rooms. The living room was spacious but cozy, and in the center was a fireplace. It also had a a giant kitchen, but the only food he had in his fridge was a box of leftover pizza, otter pops, frozen waffles, and half a gallon of milk.

The apartment was clean and elegant. Annabeth would have never thought Percy would own such a nice place.

"Percy's dad lived here before he left them. He left it for him to move into when he was old enough. It's super nice but Percy despises it because it reminds him of what a dick he is." Thalia responded blankly.

"Do you think Percy would mind if I look around?" Annabeth asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it. I'm just going to sit down and unpack until he comes back." Thalia said while taking out a otter pop from his freezer.

As she explored around his apartment, she found a glass door leading to a dimly lit outdoor pool. It was a little chilly, but Annabeth still went outside. She stepped out of her flip flops, folded up her jeans to her knees, and sat at the edge of the pool. She let her feet dangle in the lukewarm water.

Annabeth's outer shell seemed calm about running away from home. On the inside, she was panicking, scared out of her wits. She was venturing out across the country, in city she's never been in ever before with no one but Thalia. It was extremely difficult not to feel homesick. But she didn't want to go home and face her father. She was just desperate for something familiar. And so far, ever since they stopped in Manhattan, she hasn't seen anything of the sort.

She heard the door shut. She expected it to be Thalia, but instead was Percy. He was wearing skinny dark blue jeans and the same grey hoodie he wore a few days ago. She looked into his green eyes that sparkled as he walked her way.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He spoke softly. Annabeth nodded.

He kicked off his black Vans and folded up jeans to knees. He sat down on the edge next to her and lowered his legs into the water.

"What are you doing out here?" He said to her, taking a deep breath.

"Just thinking." Annabeth told him.

"Ah. So…about Thalia. How long have you known about her?" Percy asked.

"Known what about her?"

"You know, about Zeus?" He answered.

"Well, she's my best friend. I've known her since I was seven. We both had our own family issues and we helped each other." Annabeth explained.

It was quiet between them for a moment. The only sounds were the faint noises of cars below them.

Percy knew that she did have a past she wanted to leave behind—it was certain now—and yet, she still finds the light to smile.

She reminded him of himself, Percy concluded. He had found something they had in common. They both have broken pasts, but paint smiles on their faces so others won't see.

And he wondered if she, too, is crumbling on the inside.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a question for all of you!<strong>

**What are some of your favorite bands/musicians? I like twenty one pilots, Panic! At the Disco, and Fall Out Boy, but I'm always looking forward to listening to new music.**

**Let me know by leaving me a review, PM, or through tumblr under the username _anchoncho!_**


	5. Chapter 5: Choke On A Spoon, Wallace

**CHAPTER 5: ****Choke On A Spoon, Wallace**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. **

**I haven't updated in two weeks and _I am so very sorry._ I was out of town last weekend. :/**

**I prefer to update on weekends BUT since this chapter his annoyingly short, I plan to update again later this week. Yay!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Come save me from walking off a windowsill<em>

_or I'll sleep in the rain._

_Don't you remember when I was a bird_

_and you were a map?_

_Now he drags down miles in America_

_Briefcase in hand._

_The stove is creeping up his spine again_

_can't get enough trash."_

_**(Mad As Rabbits **_**by Panic! At the Disco)**

* * *

><p>It was Percy's first time ever having a roommate and what he experienced in the last 48 hours, it fucking sucked.<p>

He was used to being able to walk around his apartment in his underwear and waking up at two in the morning for a bowl of ice cream. He lived alone in that empty apartment alone for a handful of years. He didn't even have to pay for mortgage. Now, with roommates, he had to at least pull on a goddamn pair of pants.

It pissed him off that the shared bathroom in the living room had tampons stashed in the medicine cabinet and bobby pins scattered on the counter like Easter eggs. There was even goddamn hair in the sink.

Despite these thing, there were some positive aspects about living with them. He appreciated the fresh brewed pot of coffee waiting for him in the morning instead of having to make it himself and wait for it. He sprayed Annabeth's perfume on his wrist a couple of times because it smelled like cotton candy. He liked the way the hall smelled like lemons after Annabeth left the door open after taking a shower. He was fascinated by how Annabeth managed to do that hair towel thing that he could never do. These lady things strangely intrigued him.

And his apartment didn't seem so lonesome and bare like it used to be after Thalia and Annabeth came along.

Percy should be used to this kind of stuff. Surely, you would think that he had a few girls in his apartment from time to time. He did, in fact, but his past serious relationships never worked out. Occasionally, he would flirt with some women, but he never went any further than that. It just wasn't his forte.

Despite what many would conclude about him based on his exterior, he believed in loyalty and true love. He believed in soul mates and romance. He liked the idea of having a long-lasting, sweet relationship with a girl he truly loved.

He was cheesy and cliché dork, and he was quite embarrassed about that part of him.

A few nights ago at the diner, he was batshit crazy about Annabeth, but he knows that the possibility he and Annabeth could ever be together was thin. She was just another random attractive stranger that passes by. Except Annabeth wasn't a stranger. And she's staying in his apartment.

_Jesus Christ. __That girl wasn't giving him a break._

When she and Thalia left to buy to some groceries because they couldn't live off of cold pizza and ice cream like he did, he felt a little relieved. He had a little bit of time to do whatever the hell he wanted.

After sitting on the couch in his Aquaman pajamas with a bucket of cheese puffs the size of a barrel, he decided to call Nico. He was halfway into his vacation to Italy to "go back to the mother country" and "find his roots", but it was obvious that he just wanted time alone with Will. It was an excuse because Percy got super offended when Nico told him that he wasn't type.

Though the time difference between New York and Italy was six hours, meaning it would be almost midnight there, Nico was nocturnal. When Nico came over to his apartment a few weeks ago, he played video games, drank energy drinks, and trashed his living room until the sun came up.

His laptop rang for a few seconds until Nico picked up. His hair was messy and his eyes were dark and groggy like they always were. His black shirt sleeves were folded up to his shoulders and he held a black Nintendo 3DS in his hands. Even in Italy, he still played video games all night as if it were his religion. He stared at Percy, grudgingly and slightly irritated.

"Hey Nico!" Percy shouted through his laptop microphone.

Nico just stared blankly back at him.

"Nico! Can you hear me! Nico!"

"I can hear you! _France_ could probably hear you! Stop fucking shouting! " Nico snapped and threw his DS across the carpeted floor in his hotel room.

"Somebody's a little salty…" Percy said under his breath.

"Gym Leader Wallace is an uneducated goose penis that needs to choke on a goddamn spoon." Nico grumbled.

He grabbed his can of Monster energy drink and took a large swig and gave an exasperated sigh. "I was just about to beat my last gym leader before i finish the game. What the hell do you want, Percy?"

"Do you remember Thalia?"

"She's our cousin, right? Blue eyes and short hair?" Nico recalled.

"That's the one."

"What about her?" he asked.

"She and her best friend are in Manhattan right now." Percy told him.

"Why?" Nico said, taking another sip of his sugary beverage.

"Zeus is an asshole, but that's beside the point. Did you remember that Thalia had a brother?"

"Yeah. We never met Jason because he and Thalia were separated when they were little. That was years ago. And you're cutting in between my gym leader battle to tell me this because…?"

"I know where Jason is."

* * *

><p><strong>Introducing subplot #1!<strong>

**Thank you for all the feedback last chapter! I really appreciate it. **

**And thank you if you answered the question last chapter! I've realized that I love all the bands and artists you mentioned. I've been listening to a lot of Ed Sheeran, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and Imagine Dragons a lot lately. And OneRupublic and Imagine Dragons concerts are awesome! **

**New question: What other book fandoms are you in? What books would you recommend I read? My favorite book series are Maze Runner (page 250 feels ughhh), Hunger Games, and The Mortality Doctrine. And a lot of people are so surprised that I have never read Harry Potter nor have I watched any of the movies ._.**

**See you later this week!**


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